Furnace construction



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15, 1947 Zinnentor Patented July 3, 1951 FURNACE CONSTRUCTION John L. Drake, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Libbey: Owens-Ford Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application February 15, 1947, Serial No. 728,803

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved furnace construction and more particularly to a continuous glass melting furnace of the reversible regenerative type.

Continuous glass melting furnaces are ordinarily provided with two regenerators arranged at opposite sides of the melting end thereof. The air for sustaining combustion within the furnace is fed through and heated by the hot checkerwork in one regenerator, while the hot waste gases pass from the furnace through and heat the checkerwork in the other regenerator. On their way through the furnace chamber the hot waste gases entrain vapors and particles of dust and molten material, and as the gases pass from the furnace into the regenerator, the included vapors condense. Substantial quantities of the condensate and other particulate material included in the streaming gases are precipitated upon the surfaces of the checkerwork within the regenerator. During normal. furnace operation, this precipitated material accumulates and be-i comes encrusted upon the surfaces of the checkerwork, and upon continued furnace operation; the accumulations increase in size until ultimate-' ly the passageways in the checkerwork become so constricted and clogged as to inhibit efficient operation.

In accordance with the present invention, the

regenerators, and more particularly the checkerchambers thereof, are so constructed and arranged as to greatly facilitate the cleaning of the checkerworks contained therein. The purpose of the invention is accomplished by providing two separate checker-chambers at each side of the furnace, said checker-chambers being arranged end to end substantially parallel with the furnace and laterally offset with respect to one another so that each chamber is accessible from all sides thereof to permit ready cleaning of the checkerwork with a steam lance operating through openings in the checker-chamber walls, as will be more fully hereinafter apparent.-

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. l is a plan view of the melting end of a continuous glass melting furnace constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the regenerative heating means at one side of the furat opposite sides thereof.

nace taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a section through the reversing apparatus taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, wherein for the purposes of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral l0 designates the melting end of a continuous tank furnace containing a body of molten glass II. The glass batch, which is to be converted into the finished product, is fed into the rear end of the furnace through a so-called doghouse l2 and is reduced to molten glass H in the melting end l0. As is well understood in the operation of continuous tank furnaces, the body of molten glass moves slowly forward through the furnace into the refining end from which it flows into the working end from where it is delivered to a sheet or article forming machine.

The melting end of the furnace is heated by the regenerative heating means l3 and I4 arranged At the present time such heating means comprises a single checkerchamber extending alongside the furnace and in which is mounted a single brick checkerwork. Leading upwardly from the checker-chamber to the furnace are a series of uptakes through which incoming air is alternately delivered to and exhaust gases removed upon periodic reversal of the furnace. Because of the length of the checker-chamber (approximately 50 feet) it is exceedingly difficult to properly clean the checkerwork therein, with the result that the passageways in the checkerwork become clogged with dirt, dust and other foreign matter which prevents eflicient furnace operation.

In accordance with the present invention, instead. of having a single long checker-chamber at each side of the furnace, there are provided two relatively shorter checker-chambers Eli and I6 containing the checkerworks ill and it respectively. The checker-chamber are preferably of approximately the same length and are arranged end to end substantially parallel with the furnace. However, they are offset laterally with respect to one another so that each checker= chamber is readily accessible from all four sides thereof, as best shown in Fig. 3.

Each checkerwork H and it consists of the usual brickwork in which the bricks are set one upon the other in alternately arranged transverse and longitudinally extending courses tav 3 define longitudinally and transversely extending passageways. The longitudinal passageways extend from one end of the checker-chamber to the other, while the transverse passageways extend from one side to the other. Provided at opposite ends of the checker-chamber are openings 19 which align with the longitudinal passageways, while similar openings 20 are provided in the opposite side walls of the checker-chamber in alignment with the transverse passageways. As indicated in Fig. 4, each opening l9 and 26 is provided with a suitable closure including a sleeve 2| having a door 22 hinged as at 23. Arranged within the sleeve 2| is a block or plug 24 of refractory material.

Leading from the top of each checker-chamber l6 and i6 are a plurality, and, as here shown, three uptakes 25 which communicate with horizontal passages 26 leading to the ports 21 in the adjacent side wall of the furnace, and projected into each port are the usual gas burners 28.

The checkerworks i1 and 18 are supported in spaced relation to the bottoms of the respective checker-chambers l and 16 to provide tunnels 29 and 30 which connect at their outer ends with a conduit 3! leading to a stack 32. It will be seen in Fig. 1 that the tunnels 29 and 30 of both regenerative heating means I3 and I4 communicate with the conduit 3| so that they all lead to a common stack 32. The tunnels 29 and 30 at each side of the furnace are provided in the top walls thereof with openings controlled by vertically movable valve plates 33 and 34, while arranged outwardly of the valves 33 and 34 are the vertically movable dampers 35 and 36.

In operation, air for combustion is introduced into the furnace from one side thereof, while the exhaust gases exit from the opposite side and periodically this operation is reversed. More specifically, assumin it is desired to introduce air through the regenerative heatin means l3, the valves 33 and 34 of regenerative heating means [3 are opened, while the dampers 35 and 36 thereof are closed, and at the same time valves 33 and, 34 of regenerative heating means H are closed while dampers 35 and 36 thereof are opened. With this arrangement the draw of the stack 32 will create or set up a draft transversely in the furnace flowing from the regenerative heating means I3 while the exhaust gases will pass outwardly through regenerative heating means I4 to the stack. At desired intervals, this operation is reversed so that the air enters through the regenerative heating means l4 and the gases exhaust through regenerative heating means l3. This is effected by simply reversing the relative positions of the valves 33, 34 and dampers 35, 36, as will be readily understood.

In cleaning the checkerworks l1 and 18 there is employed a steam lance 31 of any preferred construction, which is inserted through the openings l9 and 29 upon openin the doors 22 and removing the blocks 24. The lance 31 is connected to a supply of steam, air, or other suitable fluid under high pressure so that violent jets of the compressed fluid may be caused to flow from the lance head. These high pressure Jets will crack and blast away the dust and encrusted accumulations from the surfaces of the checkerwork bricks, and the fragmented'and detached material will fall to the bottom of the checker-chambers from where it may be readily removed through doors 38 and 39 at the ends of the tunnels 29 and 39. By inserting the lance through each of the openings l9 and 29 from the opposite sides and ends of each checker-chamber, the entire checkerwork contained therein can be thoroughly cleaned.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a continuous tank furnace having a melting end, regenerative heating means arranged at opposite sides of'said melting end and in com munication therewith, each comprising checkerchambers arranged end to end substantially parallel with the melting end of the furnace and laterally offset with respect to one another, brick checkerwork arranged in each checker-chamber, said checker-chambers having openings in the side and end walls thereof to receive means for cleaning the brick checkerworks, and means for periodically reversing the operation of the regenerative heating means.

2. In a continuous tank furnace having a melting end, regenerative heating means arranged at opposite sides of said melting end and in communication therewith, each comprising checkerchambers arranged end to end substantially parallel with the said melting end of the furnace and laterally offset with respect to one another, brick checkerwork arranged in each checkerchamber and provided with horizontal passageways extending longitudinally and transversely thereof, openings in each of theside and end walls of said checker-chamber aligning with said transverse and longitudinal passageways and adapted to receive means for cleaning the brick checkerwork, and means for periodically reversing the operation of the regenerative heating means.

JOHN L. DRAKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Hess June 4, 

